


Before We Wed

by CallMeRavenKing



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Canon Time Period, Coming Out, F/M, Gratuitous use of historical characters, Trans Character, schmoopy fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 15:20:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6429811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallMeRavenKing/pseuds/CallMeRavenKing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night before George and Martha's wedding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before We Wed

**Author's Note:**

> This stems from a head cannon I have about Washington. I wrote it in an hour and a half over my breaks at work. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to leave them!

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

Martha Custis, once Martha Dandridge and soon to be Martha Washinton, looked up from her book as yet another stone hit her window.

Tink.

She sighed and got up, marking her place in the book as she made her way over to the window.

"I don't know who you think I am, young man," she called down into the gloom, "but I assure you I am not her."

"Well now," a well known voice floated up to her, "that would be embarrassing."

"George Washington," she hissed down at him, "what do you think you're doing?"

"I must speak with you," he insisted.

"Can't it wait until after tomorrow," she asked, "you're not supposed to see me until the wedding ceremony tomorrow. It's bad luck, you know."

"I know. But it can't wait," there was a pause, "please Martha," he added.

Martha sighed, "alright," she called down, "I'll meet you at the back door."

Grabbing her robe and wrapping it tight around her figure, Martha grabbed a candle and made her way downstairs.

"Yes, what is it," she huffed as she opened the door.

"May I come in," he asked, "this is a matter best discussed in private."

"Well alright," she sighed, "you've already seen me so I suppose our luck can survive you coming inside."

She stepped to the side and gestured grandly for him to enter. She shut and bolted the door and then turned to see her future husband, the great Virginian general, hero of the war, George Washington himself, standing in her kitchen with his hat in his hands, looking for all the world like a lost schoolboy.

"Well," She said, falling back on years of hostess experience, "shall I make us some tea?"

"Er, yes," he said hurriedly, "tea would be nice, thank you."

"Right," she said, "It'll just be a moment."  
George was quiet as she bustled around the kitchen, pulling a plate of sweet biscuits out of the pantry and setting up a tea tray. 

"Are you going to stand there all night?" She asked when everything was ready, "or are you going to join me. And put that hat on the rack," she ordered when she saw how he was twisting it, "before you tear a hole in it."

"Now," she said when he was seated and they were both nursing a cup of tea, "what was it that was so important that you couldn't wait until tomorrow to tell me?"

George was silent as he stared down at his teacup, the ends of his fingers going white as he clenched it.

"Are you here to tell me that that Hamilton boy is your son?" She asked, knowing that would get a reaction.

"What?" He spluttered.

"Relax, dear," Martha chuckled, "I know he's not your boy in any biological sense."

"Then why...?"

"To get you to look at me," she said, "either tell me what you came here for or I am going back to bed and you can see me in the morning."

"It's just... I'm... We're...." He faltered, "I am afraid I don't know quite how to tell you, or really anyone, this truth about me."

"The truth?" Martha was starting to become worried, "George, dear, what's wrong?"

"I... I am not a young man," he finally said.

"This is true," she said, "neither am I a young woman, but we both knew that from the start."

"No." He stopped, "well yes, but also no."

"No?"

"I am neither of those things. At least, not biologically," he met her eyes and she found herself caught up in the intensity of his gaze.

"Neither of what things?" She finally got out.

"Young," he hesitated and went back to studying his tea, "or a man. My birth name was Jane Washington. George, the real one, died when he was in his twenties from smallpox in Barbados. We went there with my brother Lawrence when he was ill. We were told that it might help, but it didn't. After George's death I became very distraught and sought to rid myself from the world but Lawrence convinced me to help keep George's legacy alive. I don't think this is quite what he meant, though. I took up George's name and title, joined the army. I am not a woman anymore, not to myself and not to anyone else. I am George Washington in everything but the most intimate parts of my body," he looked up at her with pleading eyes, "I will understand if you no longer wish to be wed. I only hope that you will not tell other the secret you now know of me," he stood, "I thank you for your hospitality, my lady, if you never wish to see me again, I shall understand though I love you as much as any man is able to love a woman."

"George," he voice was soft but it stopped him completely.

"Yes?" His voice was hoarse.

"Sit down," she ordered. He complied instantly, his legs seeming to buckle under him.

"You must think me blind. Or a fool," she said.

"No!" He protested, "you are neither. It is I who is the fool for ever agreeing to this marriage in the vainest of hopes."

"Then why would you think me so shallow?"

"I do not! But you deserve better than me. You deserve a man who can fulfill you in all the ways that a man fulfils a woman. And, as much as I would wish it, that is not me."

"George, look at me," his gaze caught hers and he swallowed noisily.

"I already knew," she said.

"What?" George yelped, "you knew? Then why did you not say anything?"

"Why do you think?" She asked, "because I do not care. I love you, George Washington, whatever body you may be hiding under those clothes. I did not wish to scare you off if you knew that I knew your darkest of secrets. I choose to wait until such a time as you were ready to tell me. Though I never would have imagined that it would have taken this long. You were cutting it close, George, dear."

George was silent for a long time, his eyes searching her face. 

"Martha," he finally said.

"Yes, dear?"

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" He asked.

"Not recently," she grinned at him.

"Well," he stood and held out his hand to her, "I shall have to remedy that."

Laughing, Martha stood, took his hand, and proceeded to be swept into the arms of her future husband as he kissed her soundly.

"Martha," he said, when they broke apart, "dearest Martha. What did I ever do to deserve a wife such as you?"

"Nothing," she said, slightly breathless from the kiss, "nothing except being yourself."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to lovinglaurens over on Tumblr for being my beta! Also, I hope I did the coming out okay. If anyone gets offended please let me know so I can make it better.


End file.
